JROTC proud to represent New Bedford High at national finals

NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford High School's JROTC — the oldest continuously running high school corps of cadets in the United States — is about to add another distinction.

CAROL KOZMA

NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford High School's JROTC — the oldest continuously running high school corps of cadets in the United States — is about to add another distinction.

Sixteen students in the NBHS Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps will represent their school in a national competition.

The students earned the right to take part in the finals of the JROTC Academic & Leadership Bowl, sponsored by the College Options Foundation, after a pair of rigorous online competitions.

The not-for-profit foundation, according to its website, "is dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them in their preparation for higher education. Our emphasis lies with serving military families and students who participate in JROTC."

New Bedford is among only 17 schools sending both an academic and a leadership team to the finals. That's about 1 percent of the original 1,731 schools that competed, so the city students are in some elite company.

"What we have achieved is definitely worth the recognition publicly," said corps member Robert Pina, a junior at the high school.

Whatever happens going forward, "The satisfaction of actually doing it and getting to this point is great enough, and worth the work," Pina said.

Sgt. Jerry Bedard, JROTC Army instructor at NBHS, said this is the first time an academic team has made it to the final round, out of the six years the school has competed. Locally, the JROTC program was established in 1881.

Given the rigorous nature of the competition, "If they can do this, they are ready for college," Bedard said.

Certainly the students' accomplishments dispel any notion that JROTC only prepares the teens for the military.

While military discipline and training are the underpinnings of the program, academics, financial planning, physical fitness and life skills are also major components of each student's experience, Bedard has said.

He said for the College Options competition, students on the academic team are tested on ACT and SAT level questions in math, science, English, grammar usage and current events.

The leadership team is tested on the JROTC curriculum by answering questions on a wide range of topics, including life and study skills, he said.

While the final round has traditionally been held at George Mason University in Virginia, this year's will be done online due to budgetary constraints, the College Options website said. The final takes place later this month.

"We feel we have a pretty good chance of making it if we put in the effort," said Ryan Costa, a sophomore.

Bedard said the work the students put into the competition is equal to taking a class without receiving credit.

"I feel like we have a very good chance in the leadership portion and in the academic portion," he said. But simply making it to the finals "is an incredible accomplishment."

While it would be nice to win, "it doesn't matter for us because it's (about) the journey not the destination," Bedard said.

He is always proud of the JROTC students, he said.

Team member Dyllan Almeida said he brings what he learns to his other classes, skills that include everything from prioritizing his time to communicating well.

He also shares Bedard's sense of pride.

"Coming from a school like New Bedford, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows around here. So being able to represent our school in a national competition for academics and leadership ... brings a little pride," Almeida said.